Drones take seed dispersal to new heights in Trikuta Hills

Jammu, July 24

In a landmark move, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has launched a drone-based initiative to enhance the green cover of the Trikuta Hills.

This pioneering effort leverages cutting-edge technology for environmental conservation and sustainable development, preserving the natural grandeur of the revered shrine, an official said.

“In association with Prime UAV Pvt. Ltd., a specialised agency, the initiative aims to deploy drones to disperse seeds of native plant species, promoting eco-friendly practices and supporting biodiversity conservation,” the official said.

It is pertinent to mention that the Board’s Chairman, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, had issued directions for leveraging drone technology for seed dispersal systems that can cover large and inaccessible areas in Trikuta hills efficiently for environmental stewardship.

SMVDSB Chief Executive Officer Anshul Garg inaugurated the programme at Natali village in the presence of officials from the Army, CRPF, police and shrine board. Besides, faculty alongwith students from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi College of Nursing and educational institutions in the vicinity also took part.

The initiative involves dispersing seeds of native species like panicum, trifolium, bamboo, khair, pharlai, arjun, sukh-chain, and bottle brush, covering an area of 109 hectares. The drone-based seed dispersal programme will focus on 12 native species that promote soil conservation, prevent erosion, and support the local ecosystem. Each drone flight distributes approximately 10 kg seeds whose regular monitoring will also be carried out to assess the germination and survivability of these species.

Garg highlighted the Board’s decade-long commitment to environmental conservation citing that the Board under its Annual Green Plan has already planted over 1.7 million plants through manual intervention, with a survival rate of more than 80%.

Garg exhorted that drone-based afforestation initiative is expected to have far reaching benefits and over the next 10 years the forest wing of the Board plans to cover a 100 hectare degraded patch annually.

He underscored that eco-friendly endeavour is part of the Shrine Board’s broader efforts to conserve the environment and ecology by carrying out the greening of Trikuta Hills and the spaces along the tracks leading to the shrine by rearing and planting more than 1.50 lakh seedlings every year for soil and water conservation besides, distribution as souvenirs to the devotees through plant sale counter at Katra and Jammu.